Agenda item

The Scrutiny Manager introduced the item.

The Chair had prepared a draft set of recommendations for the Committee to consider and comment on.

The following was noted in discussion:

1.    Members felt an Executive Summary would be helpful

2.    They also felt it would be helpful to group the recommendations by who they are for eg schools, local authority, etc

3.    Where a recommendation refers to lobbying, it should say who is to lobby whom

4.    Lewisham schools do not exclude children that have an EHCP, but children receiving SEN Support can be excluded. SEN Support was described as being ‘a good step down’ from an EHCP. In cases where an EHCP application had been rejected, schools would be expected to reapply. In most cases, SEN Support was in place because an application for EHCP had not met the threshold.

5.    Efforts were being made to build relationships with Out of Borough schools, particularly where trends were emerging.

6.    There was no ‘Asian’ category in the breakdown of excluded children because no child in that category had been excluded

7.    One member felt it was important to look at any increase in permanent exclusions by an individual school in the context of the school’s history. A change of head could explain a temporary increase in exclusions.

8.    One member felt it should be noted that prior to the public health approach to reducing violence being implemented in Glasgow, the ‘ground had been cleared’ by an extremely tough police response to violent crime.

9.    It was suggested that the report be published as a booklet and made available to the public to show that the local authority is committed to reducing exclusions.

10.Some members felt the recommendations needed to be more powerful so as not to underplay the report.

11.One member asked for a recommendation aimed at helping people to understand the process, including accessing independent support systems. Also challenging Lewisham schools to do more to support inclusion of Black children.

12.Having a recommendation around equalities training during Initial Teacher Training was important, and such training should be part of a training provider’s contractual obligations.

13.Any recommendation to include reducing school exclusions as an explicit element of Lewisham’s Children and Young People’s plan 2019-22 should have a tangible target attached.

14.It may be unlawful to require schools to prevent exclusion, rather any recommendation should be to require efforts to reduce exclusion.

15.A recommendation for CAMHS may be in order, that they take steps to ensure that all children and young people receive whatever held they need at the point that they need it.

16.Abbey Manor College has a lack of facilities and outside space. There should be a recommendation around improving the premises, even if this is a medium-long term aspiration owing to financing restraints.

17.The Cabinet Member gave assurances that this report was an important contribution to the aims set out in the Corporate Strategy.

18.There was an error at 7.4. The year 2015/16 was the worst year for exclusions.

19.It was requested that the recommendations be reviewed at the next meeting to allow the committee time to properly consider the report.

It was RESOLVED that:

1.    Consideration of the report and recommendations be deferred until the next meeting on 12 June

2.    An amended draft of the recommendations, incorporating the comments raised, be shared with the committee ahead of the next meeting.